The present invention is directed to display racks for sheet goods such as desk pads, desk mats, floor mats, carpet mats and chair mats used to protect an underlying surface. In particular, the present invention relates to a rack for displaying such sheet goods in an attractive manner that is designed to ease the handling, and improve marketability of such sheet goods.
Desk pads, desk mats and chair mats for office and home use are well known. Desk pads can be applied to the top surface of a desk or counter to provide a convenient writing surface, and can include calendars, advertising, and other indicia of particular interest to the purchasing public. Desk mats and chair mats can be applied over carpeting and can have short and often relatively sharp spikes on the undersides thereof which hold the mats firmly in place on the carpeting. Such mats can be difficult to carry and/or otherwise handle safely. A purchaser of such mats is sometimes faced with gripping the mat about one or two of the edges often resulting in irritation if not injury to the hands due to the spikes projecting from the underside of the mat.
Such desk pads and desk mats are now being found increasingly in retail outlets, compounding the need for a safe and attractive display of such goods. While such pads and mats may be boxed, the boxes add cost and can be themselves unwieldy. As a result, boxes are not used to any great extent in the retail environment. Thus, with increasing retail activity, new displays are also required. Such pads and mats present display problems since, absent the use of boxes, they often do not stand alone.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,178 discloses a rack for displaying merchandise, especially floor mats packaged in a display envelope having a clamp hanger separable from the display envelope, the clamp hanger being hung on a projecting portion of the rack. The rack is disclosed as an upright revolving display stand of the type supported by both a base floor portion and an upright wall portion extending from the base floor portion. The rack is disclosed to include a pole having a first end and a second end. A bearing or other rotation means is secured to the base floor portion for rotatably supporting the first end of the pole. A cantilevered beam extends outwardly from the upright wall portion to support a second bearing or other rotation means supporting the second end of the pole so that the pole is rotatable about the first and second rotation means. The display stand is characterized by at least one display rack including at least one collar secured to the pole, three support arms extending radially from the collar, and a triangular frame attached to the support arms at the apexes thereof for supporting the articles of merchandise to be displayed. Rotation of one of the frames or collars causes simultaneous rotation of the pole and all frames and collars secured thereto, together with the displayed goods.
There remains a need for even better low-cost displays having enhanced signage space, with product related graphics designed to attract customers to the displayed goods that are sufficiently robust to withstand the wear caused by the stocking and selection activities of sheet goods, for example, desk pads and desk mats.